An Evening at the Bar
by Troll99
Summary: What happens if Andromeda crew spends an romantic evening at the hotel bar? Will their relations change? How will they react to it? Please, R&R! But be warned! It is sappy!


Title: An Evening at the Bar  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Spoilers: None  
  
Pairings: R/D, B/T, T/H  
  
Summary: Andromeda crew spends an evening at the hotel bar  
  
A/N: Another sappy story from me (well, what did you expect?). Originally it was thought to be a part of some longer story, but somehow didn't fit in, so I made it a separate one.  
  
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"So, what shall we do? It's still to early to go to bed. I suggest, we go down to the bar, have a drink and hear some nice music," suggested Harper as they all gathered in front of the hotel. They had no obligations today whatsoever. Tomorrow they shall attend the ceremony at inauguration of the new ruler of Twin Worlds.  
  
No one argued with his proposal, so they decided to realize it.  
  
They found a round table and seated themselves. Of course, Beka sat next to Tyr, Trance next to Harper and Rommie next to Dylan. They ordered their drinks and chatted. Well, except for Tyr, and, surprisingly, Rommie. They were still. Not unusual for Tyr, but Rommie normally wasn't so quiet.  
  
While they were chatting, Trance touched Harpers hand every now and then. At first, he withdrew his hand but eventually found out, it is quite nice and let her. "Well, could it be, that we are not just friends? She's so warm and tender." Such thoughts almost scared him.  
  
Beka was also sitting very close to Tyr, so their hips touched a bit. He didn't seem to mind, so she just moved a bit closer and enjoyed his proximity.  
  
Dylan noticed Rommie's quietness, so he asked her: "Is something wrong, Rommie, you don't talk very much?"  
  
She looked at him with her big brown eyes and smiled: "No, it's just..... I enjoy the serenity and having nothing to do." But her eyes spoke a different language.  
  
Dylan looked at her, not saying a word. They were looking at each other and no words were necessary. They both knew something has changed in their relation. Hesitantly, Rommie reached for Dylan's hand and touched it slightly. Dylan jumped as if he'd been burnt, but did not withdraw his hand. Their fingers intertwined. They enjoyed the magic of the moment, not wanting to break free from each other. Suddenly Dylan asked: "Would you like to dance?"  
  
Rommie looked him in a slight shock and after a moment nodded: "Sure, Dylan, I'd like to." So they stood up and went to the dancing floor, not paying attention to astonished Harper's look.  
  
On the dance floor, Dylan laid his hand around Rommie's waist and they began to dance slowly. He felt her small hand grasping for his and squeezing it more than necessary for dancing. At first he avoided to look her in the eyes, but eventually, he couldn't fight his feelings any more and looked her directly in the eyes. He saw that she was staring at him. Her eyes were so huge and soft, that it shot through his mind: "Why haven't I seen it before?" He carefully pulled her closer and soon their bodies were touching tenderly. He felt like a schoolboy in love. Each touch of her body sent a jolt through him and soon his hands began to sweat. His thoughts began to float and suddenly he imagined kissing her.  
  
Rommie knew what was going on in Dylan's mind. She felt his confusion, his desire to be close to her and his fight not to give in. So she danced even more sensual and felt his growing desire. Feelings overwhelmed her and she felt she was nearing the end of her long journey to Dylan's heart. For the first time she didn't want to back off, she didn't want to hide her feelings any more and revealed all her love and passion in her look.  
  
But, before they could break the invisible barrier, the music stopped and Dylan abruptly retreated from her, his eyes mirroring his inner battle. Rommie saw that he was not yet ready to step over the line the Protocol draw between them. She sighed lightly and said: "Thank you for this dance, Dylan. It was wonderful." He silently nodded and they returned to the table.  
  
They sat on their places, not exchanging a word. They ignored the questioning looks of the others. Beka smiled secretly and looked in Rommie's direction. She saw expression on her face, expression that revealed much more than thousand words. Sorrow and joy were written on her face. Joy, because she was finally sure that Dylan feels much more than friendship for her. And sorrow, because he still wasn't ready to admit it to himself or to her.  
  
Beka looked at Tyr and saw an unusual expression. His face showed some kind of understanding and compassion. He turned his eyes to her and suddenly they softened. Beka's heart skipped a beat at that look and she realized, that he isn't so distant as he pretends to be. After all, he is a human being, genetically engineered, yes, but still capable of experiencing the whole array of sensations, including love. She knew in that moment, that he shares her emotions at least a bit. And suddenly her goal didn't seem so unreachable as before. She returned him the look, revealing her true emotions. A sudden glimpse of some unexplained comfort lighted up in Tyr's eyes and he smiled gently. She pressed herself closer to him and he didn't even try to back off.  
  
Harper was still, looking Rommie and Dylan with surprise in his eyes, mixed with a certain degree of jealousy. But as he saw Rommie's expression, he suddenly realized, that he never had a bit of chance with her. He saw that her love and her being always belonged to Dylan. He felt left aside a bit, but he liked Rommie too much to be angry with her. So he just smiled softly and looked in Trance's direction. Her face was a pure smile and as she looked at Harper, he saw that she really wants Rommie and Dylan to be happy together. But he saw also something else. He saw her eyes looking at him differently, like a woman, who wants to be loved, a woman, looking at her loved one. He was scared a bit, but he smiled back and suddenly saw Trance as a woman, not merely as his friend. And she was a very beautiful one, he admitted to himself. One, in whom he could fall in love.  
  
Apparently no one was willing to speak. Rommie and Dylan were looking at the table, obviously avoiding eye contact and trying to act as if nothing happened. They both hid their hands under the table, so the others wouldn't notice that they were trembling. So Tyr suggested, they should go to get some sleep, to be fit tomorrow for the ceremony. They all agreed and made their way to the rooms.  
  
As Rommie and Dylan came to their room and closed the door, they both avoided looking at each other at first. Rommie was trying to hide her tension by rearranging her clothes in the wardrobe. Memories of Dylan, looking at her, his eyes revealing much more than he was ready to admit, came to her mind. She managed a tiny smile and thought to herself: "Oh God, will he ever be ready to admit his true feelings? If only I knew, what could I do to make him admit it!" Her hopes seemed to have a tiny halt now. She was now definitely sure he haven't given his heart to someone else. But, will he give it to her, before everything is lost and gone? A thought passed her mind, what if she simply asked him? It can't be worse than it is, so, perhaps it really would be the best thing to do.  
  
Meanwhile Dylan was sitting on the chair, not really knowing what to do or say. He knew something had to be done. The dance made him clear, that Rommie expected a lot from him. All her previous reactions, which he didn't even notice at that time, how she tensed a bit when they were physically close, how her voice changed quite subtle when she knew, no one could hear them, all those small signs of her compassion now became more clear in the light of tonight's dance. He hated to admit it to himself: he was afraid. He was afraid like hell. His soul and his heart were telling him, he should accept what Rommie was more than obvious offering. His mind, however, refused to give in to such feelings. He tried to reassure himself, they were both High Guard officers and that she is, after all, just a physical manifestation of his ship. This thought somehow didn't seem to work anymore. It couldn't sooth his soul. If not before, tonight he definitely recognized, Rommie is much more than just an android or his ship. Her reactions and her evident human behavior made him crystal clear that she acts like a woman. There were no signs of her machine nature. There were just human emotions, human compassion and, definitely, all evidences of a woman in love. He was troubled and saw no easy way out. But, he had to do something about it and sighing he broke the awesome silence: "Look, Rommie, what happened before on the dancing floor....."  
  
Rommie almost jumped a bit, hearing his voice and quickly turned to him. She saw all his trouble, written in his face, she saw, how he pressed his palms tight together in his lap to prevent shaking of hands. It was quite clear; he was trying to tell her something that had been on his mind for a long time and was like a heavy load, clinging on him. It was obvious, how hard it is for him, so she decided to help him. At least a bit, so she interrupted him: "Dylan, please, don't try to talk yourself out of this like you almost always do. Don't turn it into one of your bad jokes. And for God's sake, don't play your Captain part on me now. I know it is hard for you. But, believe me; it is hard for me to. It's just ...... I think we must get this straight now. I'm afraid of what it might bring, yes, but regardless of consequences, we have to do it. Here and now. Look, it's been quite a long time since we both noticed something had changed. And now, we have to definitely solve our relation, one way or another. Otherwise, we both can loose everything. I noticed before on the dance floor that you almost broke your Protocol inhibitions. And that's why I am hopeful that we can solve this all mess. I just need you to tell me something. Honestly and straight. Just one simple thing: do you feel anything more than friendship for me?"  
  
Dylan was taken by surprise with her interruption and at the same time glad that she overtook the initiative. Somehow, he knew, he wouldn't have the guts to say it so straight and directly as she did. In this moment, he admired her like never before. She was a perfect warrior, but now she fought another battle, a battle with much more risky result. She fought a battle to conquer the man of her dreams. He looked at her big eyes. They were very serious, but he could see a hint of fear in them. Fear of what if he rejected her, if she might loose this battle. Looking in her eyes, he suddenly realized, there is no way for him to say her no. Yes, she really was a remarkable warrior. She did conquer him. Not with sword and fire or force lance, but with compassion, love and her humanity. His feelings overwhelmed him and without second thought he answered: "Yes, I do. I feel much more than friendship for you, Rommie. In fact, I love you."  
  
Rommie raised her head, rays of hope and love dancing wildly in the haze of expectation in her now even bigger eyes and inched towards Dylan: "So why don't you do something about it? Is it because I'm a machine? Or perhaps is it because I'm supposed to be your ship? Please, tell me. Dylan, after all those years of hiding my true feelings, I can't hold them hidden anymore. I love you since the day I first saw you. I was trying to deny it, just like you, but I can't do it anymore. It is slowly killing me that I have to be so close to you every day and not to admit what I really feel. And it's getting harder every day. If we don't do something about it, I'm afraid, I'll go nuts, just like Pax did. So, please, tell me, are you ready to accept me as I am? As a woman, who loves you."  
  
Dylan looked in these eyes that peered at him. Suddenly he saw himself drowning in them like in dark mountain lakes and he didn't even care. He was glad the truth has finally been said. He raised his arms and embraced her, laid her head on his chest and caressed her raven hair. They stood so for a while and finally he whispered: "No, Rommie, I don't want to hide it anymore. It was not only you, having a troubled time. It was the same way for me too. I was also concealing my feelings from you, or perhaps even more from myself, and it was getting harder every day. Rommie, the last thing I wanted was to make you sad or hurt you. But you see, I'm afraid too. Just like you, I've also lost everyone I loved or cared for. And I don't know how I would handle if I loose you too. You too know this crushing feeling of loneliness coming down upon you when you loose someone you really care for. I am really sorry, that you had to experience it in a way you did. I just hope I have given you at least a bit of comfort then. Believe me, it was hurting me very much, seeing you so sad, so miserable. I want you more than I've ever wanted someone, but I'm afraid of loosing you. It would all be much simpler if we didn't have a close relation. That's why I was hiding it from everyone. I was sure it would be the best possibility to remain at a distance and not drawing you into this mess of my emotions too. It could drag us both to the bottom of sorrow, should anything happen to you or to me. But I can't do it any more. I love you too much. I simply don't want to live without you any more. I don't care if anything happens. I want to experience the life with you."  
  
Rommie lifted her head and looked at Dylan with a happy smile in her soft eyes: "Why do you think you might loose me, Dylan? I am here for you and I definitely have no intention to leave you to some other woman whatsoever. I'm too jealous, I admit. And if I have to, I'll fight anyone trying to take you away from me. All your affairs with different women almost drove me insane, you know!"  
  
Dylan looked astonished: "I didn't know that Rommie! I had no idea I was hurting you that much. I was just trying to forget my love for you in embracement of other women. I was sure, there could never be anything between us so I looked for solace in other arms. Had I only known! I would have never done it."  
  
"Will you ever stop talking?" asked Rommie in her sweetest voice and closed her eyes.  
  
Dylan saw her slightly parted sensual lips trembling and his last inhibitions fell. He laid his lips on hers and for both, time just stopped. 


End file.
